Starbucks Matcha Powder: Everything You Need To Know
Matcha drinks from Starbucks are both refreshing and tasty, but can you purchase just the powder blend alone?
If you’re thinking of making your own matcha drinks and want to take inspiration from Starbucks, then it’s important you get the taste right.
So, what matcha powder does Starbucks use? Currently, you cannot purchase matcha powder alone from Starbucks. However, we know that Starbucks uses a special blend with ceremonial grade matcha and sugar, although they haven’t disclosed the brand or source of its matcha powder, research says that they get manufactured by Aiya Matcha.
If you want to learn more about the matcha from Starbucks, then keep reading. We’ll go into more detail about what matcha Starbucks uses, its caffeine content, and its ingredients list.
What is Matcha?
Matcha is a unique and delicious type of green tea from Japan. What makes matcha more unique than other teas is that It’s made from finely ground whole green tea leaves.
All the leaves are consumed, so it has more nutrients and antioxidants than other teas. Matcha tea is known for many health benefits, such as reducing inflammation, supporting oral health, and helping with weight loss.
Matcha is made from harvested shade-grown leaves, changing its nutrition and creating a vibrant, rich green color. Once the tea leaves are harvested, they are steamed and dried. Then, they are ground into a fine powder with stone.
The brewing method is also unique. Regular teas are brewed in hot water for a few minutes. Whereas matcha is brewed y whisky, the powder is in a bowl with hot water until a frothy drink is produced. When brewed, it has a creamy texture, subtle sweetness, and umami flavor. There are numerous uses for matcha, such as warm and cold drinks, but also for baking as well.
What Matcha Powder Does Starbucks Use?
Starbucks sources matcha powder from Uji, Japan. Uji is one of the most well-known tea-growing regions in the world.
Starbucks uses a custom blend that contains ceremonial grade matcha and sugar specifically made for them. Starbucks does not disclose the brand or source of its matcha powder, but research says that they get manufactured by Aiya Matcha.
Aiya started in 1888 and is now the biggest premium Japanese matcha green tea producer. They are located in Nishio, Japan, and they watch every step of making matcha, from planting the seeds to making the tea. Aiya America distributes matcha powder to large companies, small businesses, and coffee shops.
What Does Matcha Taste Like From Starbucks?
There are a handful of tasty matcha drinks from Starbucks.
All Starbucks matcha drinks use a specialized blend that contains sugar. The matcha drinks at Starbucks are sweet and have that classic matcha flavor that’s vegetarian, savory, and creamy with a hint of nuttiness.
The Starbucks matcha blend is sweetened; most of the powder is sugar, followed by matcha.
The iced matcha latte is one of the most popular matcha drinks on the Starbucks menu. If you’ve ever had it, you know very well that it’s creamy and slightly sweet with a hint of bitterness from the matcha.
How Much Caffeine Is In A Starbucks Matcha Latte?
Starbucks offers an iced and regular version of the matcha tea latte.
According to the Starbucks website, the matcha tea latte contains 80 mg of caffeine in a 16-ounce serving size. The iced matcha tea latte version also contains 80 mg of caffeine for the same serving size.
This is the standard recipe, so you can customize your drink, which will change the caffeine level. For example, you can add an extra scoop of matcha powder, likely increasing your caffeine intake by 30-40 mg. There’s also an option to add a shot of espresso, which will increase the caffeine level by another 60-70 mg.
Does Starbucks Sell Matcha Powder?
One of the most popular requests is if Starbucks offers its matcha powder for sale.
Starbucks doesn’t sell its matcha powder because it’s a specialized blend. They only sell their signature coffee blends, instant coffee, and Teavana tea blends.
If you’re wondering where to buy Starbucks matcha powder, you can check on eBay for third-party sellers. There are a handful of resellers that are selling packages in bulk.
You can also make a similar blend because the ingredients are quite simple. Mix your favorite ceremonial grade matcha and sweeter to create a similar blend. Aiya Matcha will taste the most similar to the Starbucks blend because it’s rumored that they use their ceremonial grade matcha.
What Are The Ingredients In Starbucks Matcha Latte?
One of the most popular beverages at Starbucks is the matcha tea latte, which comes either hot or cold. It’s a smooth and creamy drink with a subtle sweetness that balances the bitterness of the matcha powder.
Starbucks matcha latte ingredients include milk and matcha tea blend, a combination of matcha and sugar.
Here are all of the nutritional information. For a regular 16-ounce serving, the beverage contains 240 calories.
Total Fat 7 g
- Saturated Fat 4.5 g
- Trans Fat 0 mg
Cholesterol 25 mg
Sodium 160 mg
Total Carbohydrates 34 g
- Dietary Fiber 1 g
- Sugars 32 g
- Protein 12 g
Caffeine 80 mg
The main difference between a cold version is that the iced matcha tea latter is served over ice.
FAQ About Starbucks Matcha
What does Starbucks put in its matcha?
Starbucks has powdered matcha that is sourced from Uji, Japan. According to the Starbucks website, the blend contains matcha powder and sugar. Starbucks doesn’t offer unsweetened versions of their most popular matcha drinks.
Like any Starbucks drink, you can customize it to your liking. For example, add coconut milk instead of regular milk or swap it out for a creamer. Additionally, you can add different flavors to your matcha drink, such as brown sugar syrup or mocha drizzle topping.
Is Starbucks matcha good matcha?
Starbucks uses ceremonial grade matcha which is more vibrant and has a deeper shade of green compared to other varieties of matcha. Ceremonial grade matcha also tends to have many more health benefits because of its high level of L-theanine, chlorophyll, and other nutrients.
The one drawback of Starbucks matcha is that it is blended with sugar. This adds unnecessary calories, and sugar isn’t the most healthy ingredient. Although Starbucks matcha is considered good, watching your sugar intake is important.
Does Starbucks use premium matcha?
Yes, Starbucks uses ceremonial grade matcha sourced from Uji, Japan. Many reports say that Starbucks sources its matcha from Aiya Matcha. Aiya grows, harvests, and mills tea leaves for ceremonial and culinary uses.
Does Starbucks sell unsweetened matcha?
Starbucks matcha blend contains two ingredients: ceremonial grade matcha and sugar. In the U.S., Starbucks doesn’t sell unsweetened matcha drinks because that’s the default option. While, Canda and the United Kingdom are the only two countries that offer unsweetened matcha. Customers can avoid adding additional flavor syrups to reduce the sugar level.
Final Thoughts
The mystery of what matcha powder Starbucks use continues. Many say that Starbucks uses Aiya Matcha as their source, but this information hasn’t been verified. Starbucks uses a specialty blend of ceremonial grade matcha and sugar.
Since you can’t buy their blend, you can always use your favorite matcha and experiment to make your own. It’s quite simple, just test out the perfect ratio of matcha and sugar. Whether it’s a matcha lemonade or an iced matcha letter, we hope you enjoy your matcha journey.
